Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has survived longer than Concord and XDefiant. Can Deathstroke’s release with Season 4 save it though?

After a challenging year since its February launch, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is releasing Deathstroke in Season 4. Slade Wilson, the sword-wielding antihero, joins the roster on December 10 and will be the final addition from the game’s Year One roadmap. Can he save the game from its current situation?

Let’s see if he can save the game. | Image Credit: Rocksteady Games

Rocksteady Studios’ Suicide Squad has been through a rocky road since its release in February 2024. The game had a lot of expectations behind it and almost all of them were unmet as the game became the biggest flop of the year. At least until Concord. Let’s see if Rocksteady can bring it back.

Can Deathstroke Save Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?

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Could Mrs. Freeze bring players back to the Suicide Squad game? | Credit: Rocksteady Studios
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Developing the game was a nightmarish process for the staff involved, too.
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Deathstroke’s introduction to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League concludes the first year of post-launch content, which has added characters like Joker, Mrs. Freeze, and Lawless. Deathstroke is a fan favorite, known for his tactical brilliance and lethal gun skills in the DC Universe. His weapon-focused combat style is a better fit for the game’s mechanics compared to earlier characters.

Deathstroke will be the next playable character in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, launching on December 10. #SuicideSquadGame pic.twitter.com/8O0u98jVGs

— Batman Arkham Videos (@ArkhamVideos) December 6, 2024

Players can unlock him through challenges or purchase him directly, similar to past DLC characters. While he has fan support and hype, the game hasn’t changed much since its launch, and players still don’t like the game itself. There was a recent increase in player count due to the game going on sale in the Steam Autumn Sale, but it hasn’t gotten anything more than that.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League had high expectations but faced harsh criticism for deviating from Rocksteady Studios’ celebrated single-player style. Instead, this live-service, third-person looter-shooter left many fans disappointed which led to a big decline in player numbers. By late summer, it completely flopped a grim reality for a title that cost Warner Bros. a $200 million loss.

The Game May Not Have a Long Life

Nothing could’ve saved the game at launch. | Image Credit: Rocksteady Games

Season 4 spans December 10, 2024, to March 10, 2025, and its success could determine the game’s future. Though player numbers had plummeted to under 140 during the summer, the small comeback with the Steam Autumn Sale could be a sign of life. If things go worse from here, Suicide Squad could join the likes of Concord and XDefiant and be shut down.

Hello XDefiant Fans,

I am unfortunately here today to announce that XDefiant will be shutting down.

Starting today (December 3, 2024), new downloads and player registrations will no longer be available. We will still release our Season 3 content in the near future (exact date…

— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) December 3, 2024

As Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League enters Season 4, the stakes are higher than ever for Rocksteady Studios and Warner Bros. The game’s struggles have shown the risks of not having a clear long-term plan. It’s rumored that Rocksteady may shift focus back to single-player projects. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is also prioritizing its most successful IPs with a sequel for Hogwarts Legacy.

You can never rule out a comeback though. The gaming industry has seen spectacular redemption arcs with titles like No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077, which have overcome some of the roughest launches to become shining examples of how good post-launch support can be.

For Suicide Squad, a similar turnaround would require more than just new characters or seasonal content. A transition to a free-to-play model or a complete overhaul of its core mechanics could be the way to do it. But that all depends on whether Warner Bros. even wants to consider it.

Do you think the game has what it takes to make a comeback? Let us know in the comments!